Castle? Jet? The big boys have all the toys

Formula One drivers earn millions of pounds and have a lifestyle to match. So how do they spend their free time?

TODAY millions of us will marvel as the millionaire Formula One boys play with their favourite toys at Silverstone. It’s a glamorous way to make a living, but what about life away from the track? How do they spend their time and their money? Toyota driver Ralf Schumacher, rumoured to earn a cool £8.5m a year, lives in a castle in Salzburg and flies his own jet. “I’ve been flying since 1997, it’s the easiest way of getting around, but there’s no time to read books on the flight,” says Ralf. Which is a pity as Schumacher is a Harry Potter fan and is looking forward to the publication of the next book in the series. He also enjoys hunting — “I like hunting but more of a social pursuit with my friends than for the sake of capturing animals” — and says he is interested in politics.